Now that almost everyone is using the internet to a great extent, most people browse online to search for a home or property to buy. So, logically speaking, your best bet to catch a potential client’s attention is on online platforms. And that’s where video marketing comes into the picture.
Videos are far more engaging than static images. This is true in general, not just in advertising. That’s why you’ll find so many long long-form and short-form video ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc. So, use videos as a marketing tool to grab the audience’s attention quickly and get them to engage with your real estate business.
But you need to be creative and smart about what kind of videos you use on your social media or your website.
Types of video ideas for your real estate business marketing
Drone shots
Aerial shots give you a serene overhead view of your property listing. They’re perfect for showing off the size and surroundings of a home or building. Drones are more common than ever now, so pictures and videos taken by drones are much cheaper than they used to be a few years ago. They can really elevate your property video marketing campaigns.
Educational video
Any customer likes to have information about the things they want to buy. The same logic applies to real estate as well. Teach people the “how tos” of selling and buying properties through sample deals or tips. Show them how a property deal is made or give first-time buyers tips for buying a house.
Choose topics based on your target audience. Let’s say that you are focusing on home buyers. Share with them information on home prices, rate quotes, or how to make an offer on a house. For commercial buyers, make videos related to the topic of property investments. Settle on a target audience and make videos aimed at them.
Profile video
People tend to do business with firms or companies they know they can trust. Make short “get to know us” videos that demonstrate your values, services, personality, work culture, and experience. You can cover all these points in the same video or over a series of videos. Also, be sure to use a thumbnail that will attract attention to your video.
If you’re confident in your video editing skills, you can use any editing software to edit the video. If not, you can get the help of a professional real estate video editor to cut together your videos. In any case, try to film the videos yourself so your personality comes through.
You can attach your profile video to your emails in the signature, include them in your website under the “About Us” section, or send them through WhatsApp or emails when cold contacting prospects.
Guided property tour video
Guided property tour videos give potential buyers an added layer of information to the listing visuals. They go above and beyond regular floor plans. When you personally give the property tour, you come off as approachable and trustworthy.
You could very well use these tour videos by themselves, but we believe that they’re much more effective when used alongside property photos. Again, you can choose to make this a virtual tour or film yourself giving a tour of the actual property.
To make the guided tour more appealing, use your phone and talk to the buyer. Point out all the amenities you think they might take interest in, like a large back or front yard, indoor pool, garden, etc. These types of videos do really well with people looking to buy a second home or a vacation home.
You can even live stream your guided tours on Facebook and Instagram, as these videos are becoming very popular. Live streams also let your viewers interact and ask questions in real-time.
Video of the neighborhood
We suggest using neighborhood videos when you are selling properties in residential areas. Many times, people want to know what the neighborhood looks like before they buy a home. Knowing the neighborhood gives them a picture of what living there will be like. Make videos of the areas neighboring the property and bring the buyer’s attention to aspects that will appeal to them.
Show them the daily lives of people; show them going to the local stores, playgrounds, schools, kids getting off the school bus, commuters, etc.
Walkthrough video
As a realtor, you may have encountered potential customers who avoided you after getting the contract. This means you can’t close on a deal. Unless you go over the contract with them in person, they might misunderstand the content and start avoiding you.
Make things easier for your prospects with a video walkthrough of the property contract. Recording a video of yourself going through and explaining the important clauses in the contract. It will make the video more personal, and your customers will appreciate the effort.
Client testimonial video
What’s the best way to show potential customers your track record? Show them the testimonies of previous clients.
Ask some of your most satisfied clients to submit video testimonials. Film an interaction with them about their overall experience of the process and how they felt working with you. Ask them about the difficulties they faced and go over how you helped them.
Video testimonies are always better than written ones, as people generally doubt written reviews. These testimonies also work like word-of-mouth, and will get more leads.
Importance of using video marketing for real estate
As a realtor, you might feel like video marketing might not be the right fit for you. But billboards and other traditional advertising methods can’t churn out leads like they used to. For one thing, billboards are not as effective as they used to be. Also, they cost a lot.
Video marketing can help your real estate in a few different ways:
- Give clear explanations to your target audience about the property and process.
- Generate more leads and book meetings through emails, live streams, ads, etc.
- Increase word-of-mouth as videos are more shareable across various platforms. There’s even a chance of it going viral.
- Videos like your profile videos, guided tours, and project contract walkthroughs help clear a lot of the buyer’s doubts. So, it’s faster to push deals forward and close them.
Qualities of a good real estate video
Using right equipment
We actually recommend using your phone for live streaming. But when you’re recording other videos, we’d recommend using more professional equipment, so you get high resolution and definition.
Professional videography equipment usually includes a DSLR camera, lens, camera stand, and extra battery.
If you’re editing the videos yourself, you should pick a good video editing software or you could always outsource the video editing to a professional.
Project Planning
Before you even begin to film your video, you need to spend a lot of time planning the content, equipment, staging, distribution platform, aspect ratio, color palette, etc. Unplanned videos really go well. You want to make a good impression, so planning everything in advance will make things go smoothly and fast.
Video Scripting
Whenever you make a film, particularly if it’s planned, it’s always better to have a script. Technically speaking, scripting is a part of the pre-production process. The script should contain everything you want to say and do in the video. Having a script keeps your thoughts organized and ensures a certain flow of content. It stops you from rambling and keeps you focused on your message and the topics at hand.
Relatable videos
People will relate more to videos that focus more on their needs. They aren’t interested in “salesy” videos that are focused on the realtor’s needs. Apart from addressing your prospect’s needs in the videos, you also must dress in a relatable way.
You can’t wear an extremely expensive suit and try to approach people from low-income households or small businesses. You’ll just make them feel like your services will be beyond their budget. This doesn’t mean you can dress shabbily or too casually. No. You need to look presentable, yet approachable.
Video editing outsourcing
Now, we’ve already mentioned that you can make and edit these videos by yourself. There’s no rule against this. But if you’re not confident in your skills, or if you feel like your videography and editing skills aren’t professional enough, hire an external professional.
You’ll find many videography freelancers online to help you make your videos. For video editing, you can hire freelancers or outsource the work to an external agency offering real estate video editing.
Now it’s over to you
You now have a few good video marketing ideas to use in your video content marketing campaigns for your real estate business. Also, we’ve given you a few key qualities you must ensure your videos have to work well. Use these tips well and your hard work will pay off in your real estate business.